Calaveras Unified School District



|[pic] |Calaveras Unified School District |

| |Mark Campbell, Superintendent |

Growing Together Preschools

Parent Handbook

2012-2013

Calaveras Unified School District

Preschool & Child Care Services

PO Box 788

San Andreas, CA 95249

(209) 754-2311 voice; (209) 754-2261 fax

Kim Osmanski-Potter, Principal

Monica Lolley, Secretary

*Available on the CUSD website, calaveras.k12.ca.us*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome 3

Program Philosophy 3

Desired Results Development Profiles 3

Goals and Guiding Principles 3

School Contact Information 5

Services & Fees 5

Holidays 6

Preschool Program Schedule 6

Learning Experiences and Play 6

Eligibility Criteria 7

State Preschool Enrollment 7

Fee Based Enrollment 9

Procedures for Enrollment 10

Immunizations & Medical Assessment 10

Parent & Community Participation 11

Parent Advisory Board 11

Parent Communication 11

Sign in/Sign Out Procedures 11

Pick Up Policy 12

Safety in the Parking Lot 12

Absences 12

Medical Exclusion Policy 13

Medications 13

Minor Injuries & Medical Emergencies 14

Discipline 14

Termination Policy 15

Withdrawal from the Program 15

Toys from Home/Personal Possessions 15

Clothing 15

School Parties and Birthdays 16

Meals & Snacks 16

Naptime 16

Transportation Arrangements 16

Confidentiality 16

Enrolling Children with Special Needs 17

Formal Complaints 17

Crisis Response Plan 17

Program Evaluation 17

Children and Parent Rights 17

Signature Page 19

CUSD School Calendar 20012-20013 available on the CUSD website, calaveras.k12.ca.us

Dear Parents & Guardians:

Welcome to the Calaveras Unified School District (CUSD) Preschool! We are excited to work with you and your child to develop the foundation for your child’s future academic success. We strive to offer a quality program that recognizes and values each child’s unique traits and potential. The curriculum is child centered and reflects best practices as set forward in First Class, A Guide for Early Primary Education and is based on the California Preschool Foundations developed by the California Department of Education. We look forward to a year of amazing growth for your child.

We adhere to all state, county, and district rules regarding child care licensing, fire, safety, and nutrition. Our goal is to provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for all children in which to learn and develop.

This handbook was designed to acquaint you with our program policies and procedures. Please read and refer to this handbook as needed. Feel free to discuss any concerns or questions with our staff.

The Preschool office is located in the CUSD district office building, 3304 Hwy. 12, San Andreas, CA 95249. The mailing address is:

Calaveras Unified School District

Preschool Services

PO Box 788

San Andreas, CA 95249

(209) 754-2311 voice

(209) 754-2261 fax

Sincerely,

Kim Osmanski-Potter

We believe children learn and develop when exposed to a rich and stimulating environment.

This requires highly qualified teachers, a child centered curriculum, and developmentally appropriate educational materials and equipment. A quality preschool education provides activities that encourage children to learn through a balance of pre-literacy and numeracy activities, structured free choice, and hands-on experiences.

The goal of Growing Together Preschool is to ensure that all children are making progress in the domains of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development.

□ We use the Desired Results Developmental Profile, a tool developed by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division, to assess the development of children.

□ Children are assessed within 60 days of enrollment and every six months thereafter.

□ Parents’ input is a necessary component of this assessment.

□ The assessment is also used to plan and conduct age and developmentally appropriate activities for the children.

Our goal is to address the needs of the whole child by enhancing their social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative development. We will provide learning experiences that promote:

□ Social Development

o Learning to get along in groups

o Learning responsible behavior

o Acquiring respect for individual differences

□ Emotional Development

o Promoting positive self image

o Promoting trust, independence, and harmony

o Developing self control

□ Cognitive Development

o Emerging literacy skills

o Building number sense

o Experiencing science, art, and music

□ Physical Development

o Improving large and small muscle development

o Improving hand/eye coordination

o Encouraging hands-on experiences

□ Creative Development

o Promoting active learning

o Making choices

Growing Together State Preschool Growing Together State Preschool

Jenny Lind Elementary School San Andreas Elementary School

5100 Driver Road 255 Lewis Avenue

Valley Springs, CA 95252 San Andreas, CA 95249

2218. 754-2366

Ready to Learn Cooperative Preschool Growing Together State Preschool

Rail Road Flat Elementary School Valley Springs Elementary

298 Rail Road Flat Road 240 Pine Street

Rail Road Flat, CA 95248 Valley Springs, CA 95252

2255. 754-2141, ext 3254

West Point Head Start/State Preschool Co/Op

West Point Elementary School

54 Bald Mountain Road

West Point, CA 95255

754-2255

Growing Together Preschools offer a preschool program with wrap-around program weekdays Monday through Friday on the CUSD academic calendar. Contact sites for hours of operation as they vary slightly from site to site.

Children will be accepted for our program between the ages of three and Kindergarten entry. Preschools offer a variety of options from which parents may choose to accommodate their family needs. Subsidies may be available through the Resource Connection at 754-3048 for more information.

Because we are a licensed facility and are part of the Calaveras Unified School District, please know that your child will be participating in activities with K-6 grade age students. Your child will always be under the supervision of their credentialed preschool teacher. If you have any concerns, please speak with the site supervisor.

|Parent Fee Description |Fees |

|Part-time daily fees (includes preschool up to 3.59 hours per day – children must be picked up by|$22.00 per day |

|11:45 a.m. daily ) | |

|Full-time daily (includes preschool up to 10.5 hours per day) |$30.00 per day |

|State Preschool Slots – available at Jenny Lind, San Andreas, Valley Springs and West Point |

|Part time daily fees are based on income verification (includes preschool up to 3.59 hours per day – children must be picked up by 11:45 a.m. |

|daily) |

|Full-time daily (includes preschool up to 10.5 hours per day) |

Hours

Jenny Lind – 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

San Andreas – 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Valley Springs – 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

2012-2013 Breaks, Holidays and Staff Development Days

No Preschool Services

*All dates subject to change, notification will be given in advance.

Growing Together Preschool is CLOSED on the following holidays:

▪ July 1-27, 2012 Summer Break

▪ September 3, 2012 Labor Day

▪ November 11, 2012 Veteran’s Day

▪ November 22 & 23, 2012 Thanksgiving Holidays

▪ December 24, 2012-January 11, 2013 Winter Break

▪ January 21, 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

▪ February 11, 2013 Lincoln’s Birthday

▪ February 18, 2013 Washington’s Birthday

▪ May 16 & 17, 2013 Calaveras Frog Jump

▪ May 27, 2013 Memorial Day

▪ July 1-26, 2013 (closed July 4th) Summer Break

Growing Together Preschool will be CLOSED for staff development on the following days:

August 3, 2012 November 1, 2012 November 2, 2012

Growing Together Preschool will be OPEN for break for the dates as follows:

▪ October 1-12, 2012 Fall Break

▪ March 25-Apil 5, 2013 Spring Break

▪ June 10-June 28, 2013 Summer Break

The daily preschool schedule varies by site. Please see the site supervisor for a copy.

Weekly lesson plans are posted on the parent communication board. The lesson plans are designed to encourage children to discover, create, explore, experiment, observe, discuss and share.

Such activities include:

□ Dramatic play

□ Art and cooking

□ Manipulatives: blocks, construction, sand and water

□ Music and movement

□ Explorations in science and math

□ Emerging reading and writing activities

Play is the work of children and is the basic way in which young children gain knowledge. Just as teachers use instructional techniques for reading so preschool teachers plan opportunities for spontaneous play, guided play, directed play, or investigative play to teach new skills and concepts. Our preschool program is designed to encourage learning through play, hands-on activities, and small and large group discovery time.

The Growing Together Preschool offers our program for a fee and state preschool at Jenny Lind, Valley Springs, and San Andreas. Preschool staff will review the enrollment packet to determine appropriate placement for state preschool. One of the following eligibility criteria will be used to determine priority for placement for the state preschools:

□ Children 3.9 to 4.9 years of age will have priority enrollment into the program.

□ Income (for more information please contact the site)

□ At Risk of Abuse, Neglect and/or Exploitation

□ Homelessness

The Growing Together Preschool Program has state preschool slots at Jenny Lind, San Andreas, Valley Springs, and West Point preschools for family size and families with qualifying income needs.

▪ Admission Priorities, Enrollment Priorities, and Eligibility Criteria:

The first priority for services shall be given to at risk children, ages 3-5 without regard to income. Second priority is then given to income eligible four-year-old children and then to income eligible three-year-old children. Families with the lowest gross monthly income shall be admitted first. Families must show evidence of need for extended day enrollment because they are:

o Child Protective Services

o At Risk

o Parental Incapacity

o Employment

o Training toward vocational goal

o Actively seeking employment

o Seeking permanent housing.

As soon as all eligible children are enrolled in accordance with the priorities for participation listed above, children who are not otherwise eligible may be enrolled. This includes children who exceed the age limitations and children from families whose income exceeds the current income ceiling, issued by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division. These families may exceed this current income ceiling by no more than 15% of the eligible families of the same size. These children shall comprise a maximum of 10% of the total enrollment.

▪ Certification of Eligibility: Eligibility will be certified no more than 120 calendar days prior to the first day of the beginning of the preschool year. Prior to initial enrollment, each family shall certify their eligibility for preschool services, and the family shall complete all of the applicable forms. Children who wish to attend preschool for a second year, and are too young to enter kindergarten must be re-enrolled with the proper documentation.

▪ Family Size: The parent must provide supporting documentation regarding the number of children and parents in the family.

Supporting documentation for the number of children shall be at least one of the following:

o Birth Certificate

o Child custody court order

o Adoption documents

o Foster Care placement records

o School or medical records

o County welfare department records

o Other reliable documentation indicating the relationship of the child to the parent

When only one parent has signed (one parent on the application for service) the Application for Service and the information provided indicates the child in the family has another parent whose name does not appear on the application, then the presence or absence of that parent shall be documented.

Supporting documentation of the presence or absence of the other parent must be any one of the following:

o Records of marriage, divorce, domestic partnership or legal separation.

o Court-ordered child custody arrangement.

o Evidence that the parent signing the application receives child support payment.

o Rental receipts or agreement contracts, utility bills or other documents for the residence of the family indicating that the parent is the responsible party.

o Any other documentation, excluding a self-declaration to confirm the presence or absence of the parent of the child in the family.

If due to recent departure of a parent from the family, the remaining applicant parent may submit a self-declaration under penalty of perjury explaining the absence of that parent from the family.

Within six months of applying or reporting the change in family size, the parent must provide one of the above supporting documentations.

▪ Enrollment: A file for each family receiving preschool services shall be established and maintained. The basic data file shall contain required by Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, Community Care Licensing Standards:

o An application for services

o Documentation of total countable income

o Documentation of exceptional needs, if applicable

o Notice of Action

o Application for Services and/or Recipient of Services

o All child health form

o Immunization record

o Physician’s reports

o Emergency information

▪ Income Eligibility: Income documentation is for the month preceding certification or recertification. Current and on-going income documentation may be requested.

o Release authorization and payroll check stub

o Release authorization and letter from employer; or

o Other record of wages issued by the employer.

Growing Together Preschool reserves the right to ask for additional documentation to verify income.

▪ Self-Employment: As many of the following types of documentation as necessary to determine income:

o Letter from source of income

o Copy of the most recently signed and completed tax return

o Other business records, such as ledgers, receipts, or business logs

▪ Homelessness: Written referral from an emergency shelter or other legal, medical or social service agency; or, a written parental declaration that the family is homeless and a statement describing the family’s living situation.

▪ Child Protective Services (CPS): Written referral, dated within six months of application for services and includes:

o Statement from local county welfare department, child welfare services worker, certifying that the child is receiving Child Protective Services (CPS) and that development services are a necessary component of the CPS service plan.

o Probable duration of the CPS service plan.

o Name, address, phone number and signature of the county child welfare staff.

Public school employees are mandated reporters. As such, we are required to report suspected or known abuse of children to Child Protective Services. We will notify Child Protective Services and follow all required procedures if we suspect abuse or neglect of children.

▪ At Risk: A written referral, dated within six months of application for services and includes:

o Statement of legally qualified professional (someone licensed in the state to perform legal, medical, health or social services for the general public) that the child is at risk of abuse and neglect and that child care and development services are needed to reduce or eliminate that risk

o Probable duration of the at risk situation.

o Name, address, phone number and signature of the legally qualified professional.

□ Registration is done on a yearly basis.

□ Calaveras Unified School District accepts payment for monthly fees by check or money order. The monthly fee is due on the first day of each month for services provided in that month. Payment is for reserved time. Parents/Guardians are required to pay their monthly contracted fee even if the child is absent or uses the facility for a small amount of time. A 10% late fee will be added if payment is not received by the 15th of the month. If payment is not received by the last working day of the month, your child(ren) will not be allowed to continue. It is important that fees are paid on time and on a consistent basis.

□ If your account becomes past due, your child will not be allowed to continue in the program and the Calaveras Unified School District will be forced to take legal action.

□ There will be a $20 processing charge should the bank not honor your personal check.

□ All checks are to be made payable to the Calaveras Unified School District (CUSD). Payments may be given to staff by the 15th of the month or a 10% late fee will be charged. Please place payments in the payment box.

To enroll children in the preschool, you may call Jenny Lind (209) 754-2218, San Andreas (209) 754-2366, Valley Springs (209) 754-2141, ext. 3254 or West Point Preschool (209) 754-2255, ext. 3617 and make an appointment to enroll. Please bring the following documents with you for fee based or state preschool:

o Birth Certificate

o Immunization record

o Proof of income for one month (state preschool applicants only)

When the forms have been completed, a contract for preschool services will be written and a date of entry into the program agreed upon. This contract will indicate days and hours for preschool services following the Calaveras Unified School District Calendar.

No child will be admitted to a center until this procedure and all forms have been completed. Preschool procedures ensure that personal information concerning pupils in the program is given to authorized individuals; furthermore, no information with respect to the confidential record of a student will be released at any time without the written approval of the parents/guardians unless under court order, and that release will only be done by the Preschool Director.

Admission policy for re-enrollees: When children have been dropped from the program for any reason, and the parents/guardians desires to readmit them, they will be notified when an opening occurs. They will be considered as a new enrollee. Readmission will require a new preschool contract with the program including income verification, emergency information, and notice of action. Children who wish to attend preschool for a second year and are too young to enter kindergarten must be re-enrolled.

Each child must have immunizations up to date for their age. Growing Together Preschool may admit a child who is lacking one or more required doses if the doses are not currently due on the condition that they receive the remaining doses when due.

Children entering our program are required to submit a completed physical exam within 30 days. If this is not received within the timeline, please contact the site supervisor.

□ Parents are encouraged to volunteer in the preschool. Studies have shown that children have greater success when parents are involved in their children’s education. In addition, the program increases in quality as more adult supervision and guidance is provided.

□ All parents must have a negative tuberculosis skin test prior to participating in the classroom.

□ Community resources are also an important part of each preschool’s operations. Donated goods and services enhance our program.

□ The program recruits volunteers for additional resources. High school and local community college students are placed as volunteers with our programs.

PAB is made up of parents/guardians like you from each preschool site. Meetings are held quarterly at the Calaveras Unified School District Office and will be announced. This board makes recommendations for program operations and future planning for the preschools. Attendance at these meetings gives parents/guardians an opportunity to meet other parents, assess the quality of each preschool, review procedures, and an opportunity to participate in the annual program review. Agendas and meeting minutes are kept and are available for review upon request.

□ The CUSD Growing Together Preschool Program encourages an “open door” policy that includes visitation and observation. Parent activities, talents and skills are always welcome.

□ Formal parent/teacher conferences occur two times a year. Informal conferences may take place any time throughout the course of the year.

□ Newsletters will be sent home monthly.

□ The Parent Communication Board is located near the classroom entrance. It contains menus, weekly lesson plans, calendar of events, parent volunteer sign-up sheet, program information, and the class newsletter. Please check the board on a daily basis.

Your child must be signed in and out each day by the designated responsible adult (18 years or older). Signature must include full first and last name and include the time of sign in and sign out. Only adults listed on the child’s application form/emergency card will be allowed to take the child from the preschool program. Anyone picking up the child must be prepared to show picture identification. This policy is strictly enforced to ensure the safety of your child.

Prompt arrival and departure of students to and from the program is expected. Should a late pick up occur, a late fee will be charged at the rate of $5.00 per minute beyond the preschool dismissal time. When 30 minutes has elapsed beyond the preschool dismissal time, the sheriff’s office will be called. A total of five late pickups may result in termination from the program.

Arrive promptly at dismissal time. Sign your child out when you exit the classroom. If you will be late in arriving, please call. It helps to minimize unnecessary concerns. No other person than those who appear on the emergency card will be allowed to pick up your child.

In the case of separation/divorce, court documents must be provided to inform the site of custodial rights and days and if the non-custodial parent may pick up the child. No changes to the pick up authorization form will be accepted by phone. Restraining orders must be on file with our office.

Our parking lot can be a busy place at certain times of the day. Help us in providing a safe environment by adhering to the following rules:

□ Hold your child’s hand in the parking lot.

□ Make sure your child does not run ahead of or lag behind you upon arrival and pick up.

□ Upon arrival, turn the engine off in your car.

□ Drive slowly in the parking lot.

□ Do not park in the designated bus area.

□ Do not leave younger children in the car.

The teacher/director must be notified when an absence occurs. The child may be withdrawn from the preschool program after 5 consecutive days of absence if the teacher/director is not notified. Excused absences include:

□ Illness of a child

□ Quarantine of family

□ Family emergency

□ No transportation

On the first day the child returns, the parent/guardian must note the reason for absence on the sign in sheet. Excessive unexcused absences of 10 or more days may result in termination from the program. The fees do not change if your child does not attend due to illness.

Best Interest Days – Each state preschool family will be offered 10 “best interest” days per program year. These days will be offered to families, and may be used at any time for reasons such as: visits with grandparents or family members, vacation, or other activities in the “best interest” of the child. Only 10 “best interest” days per child per year may be used. Please notify the site manager of reasons for best interest days and note them on the sign in/sign out sheets.

Growing Together is a program for healthy children. A child who is not well does not benefit from our program and can adversely affect the health of other children. If you have any doubts about your child’s health, please keep your child at home and contact your family physician.

No child shall come to class or stay in class when the following symptoms are present. Children brought to school with the following symptoms will be sent home:

□ Fever

□ Diarrhea

□ Vomiting

□ Body rash with fever

□ Sore throat with fever and swollen glands

□ Eye discharge or pink eye

□ Head lice or nits

□ Severe coughing

□ Yellow skin or eyes

□ A child with discolored discharge from the nose or extreme congestion causing difficulty breathing

□ Fever within the last 24 hours

□ Failure to comply with the mandated health examination, immunization and tuberculosis skin testing requirements

□ Children must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning.

When a sick child is taken home from school, he/she is required to stay home the following day to ensure that he/she has a chance to recover. If a child is out more than 3 days, a medical release from the doctor is required to return to school. If a child is too sick to go outside, the child should remain home from school. The teacher will note the health status of each child every morning.

□ Our staff cannot administer medications to any child without a written statement from the physician stating the name, time, and amount to be given.

□ Parents must complete the Parent Consent for Administration of Medications and Medication Chart that will be kept in the child’s file.

□ Our staff cannot administer non-prescription medication including aspirin. It will be the parent’s responsibility to administer the medication other than those prescribed by a physician. If possible, give medication to the child at home prior or after the program.

□ All medications must be kept in the original container and label noting the child’s name, the medication name, recommended dosage, time intervals for administration, expiration date, and prescriber’s name and license number.

□ Medication will be stored according to the instructions on the label, kept beyond the reach of children, and returned to the parent when no longer needed.

□ Minor injuries will be given first aid attention by a qualified staff member.

□ In the event of a medical emergency or accident, you will be contacted per the information on the emergency card. This agreement is also your authorization for CUSD to contact your family doctor and take whatever emergency measures are deemed necessary for the care and protection of your child.

CUSD Preschool believe that all children are entitled to a safe environment in which children’s behavior that might pose a risk to the safety of others is minimized. The goal of this policy is to work with parents in a partnership to encourage the children to become creative, independent, responsible, and socially appropriate. This involves teaching children to make responsible choices, and accepting the consequences of such choices.

Our staff will use these guidance strategies:

• Active listening

• Positive verbal praise and acknowledgement

• Redirection

• Planned ignoring of the behavior

• Modification of the environment/schedule/transitions

• Clear and consistent direction

• Problem-solving with open-ended questions

• Natural consequences

• Thinking time (intervention technique where staff may remove child from area, either sitting next to or within teacher’s view to assist a child in gaining self-control so he/she may safely return to the group.)

Aggressive behavior may result in a phone call to parents to pick up their child from the program. Aggressive behavior is defined as deliberate, repeated and uncontrolled attacks on others physically and/or verbally, and uncontrolled behavioral patterns including, but not limited to, defiance, disrespect, biting, hitting, profanity, or throwing of equipment.

If negative behavior becomes chronic, CUSD will convene a student study team. This team will be made up of all those involved with the child, either directly (parent and child care staff) or indirectly (CUSD Director of Preschool, and other professionals as appropriate). This team may be asked to review the child’s progress and develop a behavior intervention plan.

If it appears that the child is not benefiting from the CUSD preschool program the student study team will make the determination of discontinuing services based on the following factors:

• A child’s behavior is consistently disruptive to the class, and/or

• The child is of danger to him/herself or to others, and

• The behavior intervention plan has been followed but has not yielded the desired results.

All attempts will be made to assist the family in finding alternative placement and services.

Services may be terminated at any time for the following reasons:

□ Excessive unexcused absences – 10 per school year

□ Excessive late pick ups of child – 5 per year

□ Harm or injury to another child or adult in the program

□ Continuous disruptive behavior

□ Failure to submit physician’s report within 30 days of enrollment

□ Failure to update child’s immunizations as required by law

□ Failure to pay for the program by the end of the month of service.

CUSD has carefully developed these conditions to ensure the safety of your child and the quality of the program. Our goal is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for all children with programs designed to suit each developmental level. Fees will not be refunded if services are terminated for failure to abide by these procedures.

If you wish to withdraw your child from the program, a two-week notice is required. You must notify your preschool site manager. If you fail to follow these procedures, you are liable for any fees due on your child’s account.

A cubby is provided for each child in our program. Label all of your child’s belongings. Items such as toys, candy, gum, and money are prohibited to avoid hurt feelings, breakage, or loss. In the event of show and tell, children are not permitted to bring toys associated with violence including guns, knives, and swords. We are not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen personal items.

□ Children should wear comfortable, casual clothing. We will be doing many hands-on and messy projects including painting, playing in dirt, and cooking. All clothes, especially coats and sweaters, should be marked with your child’s name in permanent ink.

□ All children need an extra set of marked clothing left at school. Please place this set of clothing in a plastic bag with the child’s name on the outside for easy storage.

Classrooms may have several parties throughout the year. Please inform the teacher if your child is not able to participate in these events due to religious beliefs.

Children are invited to celebrate their birthdays at school. If parents choose to bring a birthday treat, we prefer a treat that is nutritious, healthy and store bought. Please inform the teacher if your child will not be able to participate.

We offer two meals per day and two snacks. Costs of snacks are included in the preschool fees.

Meals are provided at no cost or reduced cost to income eligible families. Families that do not qualify for the federal meal program have the option of purchasing breakfast and lunch.

The menus are prepared in accordance with state nutritional guidelines. A copy of each month’s menu will be posted on the parent communication board. Meals must be paid for in advance with the elementary school food service workers and not to preschool staff. :

Breakfast Lunch

Full Pay $1.25 Full Pay $2.25

10 Day $12.50 10 Day $22.50

20 Day $25.00 20 Day $45.00

Reduced $30.00 Reduced $0.40

10 Day $3.00 10 Day $4.00

20 Day $6.00 20 Day $8.00

Children may also bring nutritious meals from home. Parents must provide food for children on special diets. Please inform the teacher if your child has any known or suspected food allergies..

We provide a quiet rest or naptime for all full-time children. Some children may need sleep; others may only rest. We will try to accommodate each child’s sleep needs. Each child needs to bring a blanket for naptime. Children who cannot go to sleep will be given a small bag of nap toys to play with by themselves while others are sleeping.

CUSD does not provide transportation to and from preschool. Parents are responsible to make their own arrangements.

Information relating to your child is confidential and will not be released unless written authorization is provided by a parent or legal guardian. An exception will be made in the event of suspected child abuse. Preschool staff is mandated reporters and any such suspicion will be reported to Child Protective Services for immediate investigation and action.

Copies of a child’s attendance record must accompany *a court ordered request and will take two weeks to process.* In the case of a separation/divorce, court documents must be provided to inform staff of custodial rights. The documents must be on file with the school office.

Enrollment for special needs children is made on an individual basis and based on IEP recommendations. Please contact the County Office of Education, SELPA, 736-6040.

We strive to maintain a quality program; however, prompt and equitable resolutions of complaints are practiced in the following manner:

□ Initial contact should be made with the teacher. If the issue is not resolved, then district employees should be contacted accordingly.

□ Site supervisor

□ Director of Preschool

□ Superintendent or designee.

Any person may file a complaint alleging a violation of law, policy, or regulations governing the program. The procedure for handling any such complaint shall be the procedure detailed in Board Policy 1312.3. Formal complaint forms are available upon request from the district office.

The school site crisis response plan will be followed in the event of crisis necessitating evacuation or lock down. Details of this plan are available in the school office.

Calaveras Unified State Preschools will maintain an on-going evaluation system in order to continually enhance the quality of services in the State Preschool Program using the state mandated Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised tools. These tools include:

▪ To evaluate the program provided to families using the Desired Results Parent Survey.

▪ To complete self-evaluation tools on the preschool program annually:

o Environmental Rating Scale performed by staff, parents, and community members

o Program Action Plan

Submit these findings to the Child Development Division of the California Department of Education at the end of the program year.

Parents must acknowledge receipt of their parent’s rights and the personal rights of their child(ren). Forms for such purposes are included in the enrollment packet.

□ Children’s rights:

1. To be accorded dignity in his/her personal relationships with staff and other persons.

2. To be accorded safe, comfortable accommodations, furnishings and equipment to meet his/her needs.

3. To be free from corporal or unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threat, mental abuse, or other actions of a punitive nature.

4. To be informed of the address and phone number of the complaint division of the licensing agency.

5. To be free to attend religious services or activities and to have visits by a spiritual advisor of their choice.

6. Not to be locked in a room, facility, or building by day or night.

7. Not to be placed in a restraining device, except a supportive restraint approved in advance by the licensing agency.

□ Parent’s rights:

1. Enter and inspect preschool without advance notice when children are present.

2. File a complaint against the licensee with the licensing agency and review the public files of Growing Together Preschool.

3. Review; at the preschool, report of licensing visits and substantiated complaints made against Growing Together Preschool during the last three years.

4. Complain to the licensing office and inspect the preschool without discrimination or retaliation.

5. Request in writing that a parent not be allowed to visit your child or take your child from the preschool, provided you have shown a certified copy of a court order.

6. Receive the name, address, and phone number of the local licensing office.

7. Be informed if adults associated with Growing Together Preschool have a criminal record exemption.

8. Receive the Caregiver Background Check Process Form.

Note: California State Law provides that we have the right to deny access to the preschool to a parent/authorized representative if the behavior of the parent/authorized representative poses a risk to children in our program.

By signing this page, I agree, read, and understand the Parent Handbook.

___________________________________ ______________

Signature Date

-----------------------

Growing Together

State Preschool

Valley Springs Elementary

754-2141, x 3254

Growing Together

State Preschool

Jenny Lind Elementary

754-2218

Ready to Learn

Preschool

Rail Road Flat Elementary

754-2275, x 3706

Growing Together

State Preschool

San Andreas Elementary

754-2366

West Point Head Start/State Preschool

West Point Elementary

754-2255, x 3617

Welcome

Program Philosophy

Desired Results Development Profile

Goals and Guiding Principles

School Contact Information

Growing Together Services and Fees

Holidays and Days Closed

Preschool Daily Schedule

Learning Experiences & Play

Eligibility Criteria

State Preschool Enrollment

Fees for Fee Based Preschool

Procedure for Enrollment

Immunizations & Medical Assessment

Parent and Community Participation

Parent Advisory Board (PAB)

Parent Communication

Sign In/Sign Out Procedures

Pick-up Policy

Safety in the Parking Lot

Absences

Medical Exclusion Policy

Medications

Minor Injuries & Medical Emergencies

Discipline

Termination from the Program

Withdrawal from the Program

Toys from Home/Personal Possessions

Clothing

School Parties and Birthdays

Meals and Snacks

Naptime

Transportation Arrangements

Confidentiality

Enrolling Children with Special Needs

Formal Complaints

Crisis Response Plan

Program Evaluation

Children & Parents Rights

Signature Page

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